This invention relates to grip pads which in particular are suited for use in wet or slippery areas and most particularly for use on watercraft such as surfboards. This invention also relates to an article of footwear for use with such pads.
Watercraft such as surfboards generally have a smooth fiberglass surface. To improve grip a wax coating may be applied however this is a tedious process and needs to be repeated at regular intervals. Additional forms of grip enhancing means comprise pads of a suitable plastics material however pads of this form whilst assisting in preventing slip, do not provided a positive grip between a surfboard rider and the surfboard.
In our Australian Patent No 713636, we disclose a deck pad for use in combination with a garment worn by a person, the pad having a zone or zones of a hook and loop type fastener and the garment having one or more zones of a complementary hook and loop type fastener. By varying the position of placement of the garment on the pad, the contact between the zones can be varied to control the extent of engagement between the garment and pad. The pad can be used in a number of different applications such as a deck pad on a watercraft such as a surfboard in which case the garment is in the form of an article of footwear having on its underside the zone or zones of hook and loop type fastener. Whilst this pad functions efficiently, wear on the hook and loop fastener can necessitate replacement of the whole pad and similarly if different grip properties are required.
The article of footwear however is usually in the form of a bootie in which case left and right boots are required to be worn by the user. Further as the footwear is in the form of a bootie, the whole of the foot is covered so that a user, say of a surfboard, lacks xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d.
The present invention aims to provide in one aspect an improved deck or grip pad for use on watercraft such as surfboards or other watercraft, skateboards or any other article, or in any other area where enhanced grip is required. The present invention further aims to provide an article of footwear designed particularly to be used with a pad of the type described above but which may be used with any other complementary pad. The present invention furether aims to provide an article of footwear which may be used both on the left and right foot and which will be effective and efficient in use. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.
The present invention thus provides in a first aspect a deck pad assembly, said pad assembly comprising a pad member and at least one insert within said pad member, said pad assembly being adapted to be attached to the deck of a watercraft, skateboard or other article to which enhanced grip is required, said insert or inserts having on its or their upper surface, a hook and loop fastener adapted for cooperation with a garment having one or more zones of a complementary hoop and loop fastener.
In use, by varying the position of placement of the garment on the pad or pad assembly and thus varying the contact between the hook and loop fastener of the garment and the pad assembly, the person wearing the garment can selectively control the extent of engagement and thus grip between the garment and pad assembly.
The term xe2x80x9chook and loop fastenerxe2x80x9d as used in the present specification refers to either portion of a fastener comprising two portions, namely a hook portion and a portion complementary to the hook portion for example a loop portion such that the two portions are releasable interconnected when brought into contact with each other. Such fasteners are known under the trade mark VELCRO. The use of the term also includes those types of fasteners known as hook and hook fasteners in which there are opposing portions of interlockable hooks. The term also includes any other touch and grip type fastener of the type in which temporary interconnection is achieved when the two components thereof are brought into contact with each other.
The pad assembly of the present invention may be used for any application where it is desirable for a person""s grip on a surface to be enhanced. For example, the pad assembly may be attached to the deck of articles such as surfboards, body boards, skateboards, jet skis, sailboards and yachts.
Thus in a further particular aspect the present invention provides a surfboard deck pad assembly for attachment to the deck of a surfboard, said pad assembly including a pad member and at least one insert within said pad member, said at least one insert having on its upper surface, a hook and loop fastener and said pad member having a zone or zones comprising a non-slip surface. The zone or zones of hook and loop fastener may substantially cover the insert.
Alternatively, the pad assembly can be in the form of a mat for placement on slippery or other wet surfaces such as wet floors and also in snow and ice. Thus in a further aspect, the present invention provides a ground or floor pad assembly for use on slippery surfaces such as wet areas or in snow or on ice in combination with a garment worn by a person, said pad assembly comprising a pad member and at least one insert within said pad member, said pad assembly having a plurality of grip enhancing zones having different grip properties, at least one of said zones comprising a hook and loop fastener on said at least one insert and said garment having one or more zones of a complementary hoop and loop fastener such that in use, by varying the position of placement of said garment on said pad assembly and thus varying the contact between said zones of said garment and said pad assembly, said person wearing the garment can selectively control the extent of engagement between said garment and said pad assembly to vary the grip between said garment and said pad assembly.
The pad assembly may have more than one insert, each carrying the hook and loop fastener such that in use a person can control the extent of engagement between the garment and the pad assembly by selectively engaging different proportions of the hook and loop fastener on the inserts or different inserts. The hook and loop type fastener may be of any size, location or density depending upon the desired use of the pad assembly. Most preferably however the hook and loop fastener covers substantially all of the upper exposed surface of the insert or inserts.
The pad member of the pad assembly is suitably apertured to receive the insert or inserts, the insert or inserts for this purpose having an external configuration complementary to the shape of the aperture. The pad member may have a single central aperture to receive an insert such that the pad member peripherally surrounds the insert carrying the hook and loop fastener. The pad member may have more than one aperture to receive respective inserts.
The insert may have one or more raised ribs or ridges on its upper side to enhance grip. The nbs or ridges suitably extend longitudinally relative to the pad assembly.
The insert or insert may have zones of hook and loop fastener having different densities of either hooks or loops. A zone of hook and loop fastener with a low density of hooks or loops will normally engage a garment having a complementary fastener to a lesser extent than a zone having a high density of hooks or loops. The extent of engagement can be controlled by selectively engaging zones having different densities.
Most preferably the pad member includes at least one zone of a non-slip material defining a non-slip surface. The zone of the non-slip material suitably covers substantially all of the upper surface of the pad member. Such a pad member is especially suitable for use on watercraft such as surfboards. A rider is able to disengage part of the garment whilst remaining in contact with the non-slip surface. This is desirable in applications such as surfboards as it allows a rider to optimize control and/or grip of the surfboard as desired.
Non-slip materials which may be used in the preferred pad member are known and typically include flexible foam materials. Suitable foam materials include urethanes, vinylchloride foam material or olefinic materials such as polyethylene and copolymers of ethylene with vinyl acetate. An especially preferred material is ethylene vinyl acetate foam (EVA). The physical properties of the foam may vary and may be selected according to the desired substrate to which the pad assembly is to be attached. For example, if the pad assembly is to be used on areas where shock absorption is required, the density and thickness of the foam may be varied accordingly. Preferably the foam has a thickness of 6 to 12 mm and most preferably about 10 mm. The surface of the material may also be modified as desired and may be embossed or moulded in an anti-slip friction increasing pattern. Preferably when the pad is to be used on watercraft the foam is provided with water shedding channels or the like.
The pad assembly is suitably attachable to the deck or other substrate typically by an adhesive. Preferably, the lower surfaces of both the pad member and insert are provided with a layer of a pressure sensitive or contact adhesive. The adhesive is typically strong enough to allow the components of the pad assembly to remain on the substrate during use, but to allow the pad member and/or insert to be removed and replaced as desired. It will be appreciated that in some applications the pad assembly may simply be placed on a surface without an adhesive and may be held in place by frictional engagement between the lower surface of the pad assembly and the substrate. Pad assemblies of this type may be in the form of mats for placement on wet or other slippery areas when and where desired. Preferably, both the pad member and insert are provided with a self adhesive backing to enable the pad member and insert to be secured separately to the surface to which the pad assembly is to be attached. This enables either the insert or the pad member to be replaced in the event of wear or substitution or replacement if an insert or pad member having different properties is required. For example, the insert may be provided with a hook and loop material of different density or with sections of different densities.
Preferably, the hook and loop fastener on the insert is disposed, at least around the outer periphery of the insert, below the surface of the adjacent portions of the pad member to reduce the possibility of detachment of the hook and loop fastener from the insert or detachment of the insert itself. Most preferably, the outer edges of the hook and loop fastener are folded downwardly around the periphery of the insert.
Whilst the insert in the above configuration is used in combination with a surrounding pad member, it may also be used itself as a separate grip pad. Thus, the present invention in a further aspect provides a grip pad, said pad having an upper side, a hook and loop fastener substantially covering said upper side and adapted for cooperation with a garment having one or more zones of a complementary hoop and loop fastener, said pad further having on is upper side at least one raised grip enhancing ridge.
In yet a further aspect, the present invention provides a surfboard deck pad for attachment to the deck of a surfboard, said pad having an upper side, at least one raised ridge on said upper side, and a hook and loop fastener substantially covering said upper side. The pad when applied to use on a surfboard suitably is of elongated form and the ridge or ridges suitably extend longitudinally relative to the pad.
In yet a further aspect, the present invention provides a ground or floor pad for use in combination with a garment worn by a person, said pad having an upper side, a grip enhancing zone comprising a hook and loop fastener substantially covering said upper side, and at least one raised ridge on said upper side and said garment having a zone or zones of a complementary hook and loop fastener such that in use, by varying the position of placement of said garment on said pad and thus varying the contact between said hook and loop fasteners of said garment and said pad, said person wearing the garment can selectively control the extent of engagement between said garment and said pad to vary the grip between said garment and said pad. The hook and loop type fastener may be of any size or density depending upon the desired use of the pad.
The pad suitably includes a body having an upper surface which is covered in the hook and loop fastener. The material of the body may comprise a foam material. Suitable foam materials include urethanes, vinylchloride foam material or olefinic materials such as polyethylene and copolymers of ethylene with vinyl acetate. An especially preferred material is ethylene vinyl acetate foam (EVA). The physical properties of the foam may vary and may be selected according to the desired substrate to which the pad is to be attached. For example, if the pad is to be used on areas where shock absorption is required, the density and thickness of the foam may be varied accordingly.
The pad suitable is formed by having the body moulded with the ridge or ridges integral. The ridge or ridges may extend only part way along the pad or fully along the pad. Where one ridge is provided, it preferably is located centrally of the pad which is preferably of elongated form. Where more than one ridge is provided, they are suitably arranged symmetrically relative to the longitudinal centerline of the body. The hook and loop fastener may be affixed to the upper surface of the body by adhesives or alternatively may be moulded with the base.
The pad typically is used in combination with a garment worn by a person to enable the person to grip or engage the pad. Typically the garment""s outer surface has at least one complementary portion of the hook and loop fastener affixed thereto. The outer surface of the garment may be completely covered with the hook and loop fastener or may have one or more sections of the hook and loop type fastener attached thereto. Alternatively the garment itself may be made from a looped portion which can engage a corresponding hooked portion on the pad. Preferably however the looped portion of the hook and loop fastener is on the pad and the hooked portion is attached to the garment.
Any type of garment may be used in combination with the pad assembly or grip pad and any part of a garment can be adapted for engagement with the pad or pad assembly. For example, the garment may comprise a wetsuit or the like in which the hook and loop fastener is affixed to the chest portion. Such a garment would be suitable for use with a surfboard or body board to facilitate grip when paddling or riding. In applications where it is desirable that there is a large amount of grip between the garment and grip pad or pad assembly such as on a surfboard for aerial maneuvers, the surface area of hook and loop fastener on garment is at least the size surface area of the hook and loop type fastener the grip pad or insert of the pad assembly so as to provide the maximum engageable surface. Alternatively in applications where such a degree of engagement is not required, such on the deck of a boat, the zones of hook and loop fastener may be substantially smaller. The surface or surfaces of the grip pad or insert may also have areas in which the distribution of the hook and loop fastener varies. The grip pad and insert may have zones of hook and loop fastener having different densities of either hooks or loops. A zone of hook and loop with a low density of loops will normally engage a garment having a complementary surface to a lesser extent than a zone having a high density of hooks or loops. The extent of engagement can be controlled by selectively engaging zones having different densities.
Most preferably, the garment for use with the pad assembly or grip pad is a boot, sandal or other article of footwear or may be adapted to be fitted over existing footwear such as a boot.
Thus in a further aspect, the present invention provides article of footwear having a first retaining portion adapted to extend over and be secured about the foot of a user and a second retaining portion adapted to extend around and be secured to the ankle of a user, and a grip zone comprising a hook and loop fastener adapted to be located in use under the foot of the wearer so as to leave the toes and the heel free, said hook and loop fastener being adapted to be releasably connected to a grip pad or article having a complementary hook and loop fastener.
The present invention in further aspect provides article of footwear for use with a surfboard or other water-craft, said article of footwear including a first retaining portion adapted to extend over and be secured to the foot of the user and a second retaining portion adapted to extend around and be secured to the ankle of a user, and means for attaching a leg rope for connection to said surfboard or other water-craft.
The article of footwear suitably comprises a main body formed of a wetsuit material such as neoprene or any other material which is flat or planar prior to attachment to the foot of the user.
The first retaining portion suitably includes opposite straps which may be formed integrally with the main body and which may be looped about the foot of the user and interconnected. Suitably, the straps carry complementary hook and loop fasteners which permit the straps to be interconnected. One of the portions of hook and loop fastener on one strap may be extended to form a tongue which may be passed back over the hook and loop fastener of the other strap to ensure secure interconnection between the straps.
Preferably, the second retaining portion also includes opposite straps suitably formed integrally with the main body which may be interconnected about the ankle of the user. The straps suitably carry zones of complementary hook and loop fastener which cooperate to secure the strap around the ankle. The strap may include a plurality of zones of hook and loop fastener which may be sandwiched between each other to enhance interconnection of the straps.
Where a leg rope is used it may be connected to the second retaining portion of the footwear by any suitable connection arrangement known in the art or alternatively, a leg rope may be releasably connected to the second retaining portion by a looped fastening arrangement. Webbing may be incorporated into the second retaining portion to strengthen the ankle straps and the leg rope may be connected to the webbing such that the footwear article may be used in place of the conventional surfboard leg rope assembly.
Thus in a further aspect, the present invention provides leg rope assembly for attachment to a surfboard or other water-craft, said leg rope assembly comprising a foot engaging portion, said foot engaging portion including a first retaining portion adapted to extend over and be secured to the foot of the user and a second retaining portion adapted to extend around and be secured to the ankle of a user, and a leg rope fixed at one end to or adjacent said second retaining portion.
As an alternative, the footwear article may be used in combination with a conventional strap of a leg rope which is attached to the surfboard. For this purpose, loops may be provided on the inside of the second retaining portion to receive a conventional leg rope strap. In a further arrangement, the strap of the leg rope may be secured around the second retaining portion of the footwear article.
The main body of the footwear article also suitably includes a central opening for receipt of the heel of the user, the opening being shaped so as to in effect expand to accommodate the heel.
Where used with a pad assembly of the above described type, a person can locate the foot on the pad assembly so as to engage the hook and loop fastener on the footwear article with the rib or ribs on the insert carrying the complementary hook and loop fastener, and leaving the toe and heel of the foot on the pad member.
Where used with a grip pad of the above described type, the grip pad is preferably of a width less than the distance between the toes and heel of a person wearing the footwear article. Thus in use, a person can locate the foot on the pad so as to engage the hook and loop fastener with the rib or ribs on the insert carrying the hook and loop fastener leaving the toe and heel of the foot of the user free for contact with the surfboard such as to give the user xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d to facilitate maneuvers.
The part of the lower surface of the article of footwear which corresponds to the arch of the foot is typically covered by the hook and loop fastener however that part may be provided with different zones of hook and loop fastener provided for example in strips extending transversely of the foot in use. The zones of hook and loop fastener may have different grip properties to vary in use the extent or nature of engagement between the footwear article and pad assembly or grip pad.